Examining on-demand interdisciplinary exercises and their learning effectiveness

Abstract

Pharmacy students need to learn and utilize the learned knowledge in relevant situations to acquire the professional skills of pharmacists in the future. In 2020, the first-term sixth-grade students at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Teikyo University participated in on-demand interdisciplinary exercises to connect fundamental pharmacy concepts with clinical practice. Students scored higher in the self-assessment questionnaire on the 48 achievement goals of the class after completing the exercises. The students who rated themselves higher on the goals “deepened understanding” and “learning satisfaction” also had significantly higher average grades on the final exam than students who did not. The students’ impressions suggested that these exercises also increased individual and collaborative learning through the prepared step-by-step assignments. The program was effective in terms of improving understanding, learning satisfaction, and final exam scores.